Which are the most polluted cities in Europe?

Of the top 10 most polluted cities in Europe, half are Italian, concentrated in the northern regions. The ranking, which refers to the year 2024, is based on urban air quality measurements (primarily PM₂.₅) —the fine particulate matter most harmful to human health—collected by the European Environment Agency (EEA).

This is the official ranking:

• Slavonski Brod (Croatia)
• Nowy Sącz (Poland)
• Cremona (Italy)
• Vicenza (Italy)
• Padua (Italy)
• Venice (Italy)
• Piacenza (Italy)
• Ioannina (Greece)
• Częstochowa (Poland)
• Żory (Poland)

The situation does not appear to have improved during 2025 , and the health risks remain extremely high. The European Union has long set an annual limit for PM₂.₅ of 25 µg/m³ , but the WHO recommends a much lower value of 5 µg/m³ to protect health. In any case, both of these values ​​are significantly exceeded in the European cities that rank high in pollution, and in as many as 13 EU countries, more than half the population breathes polluted air.

Another important ranking regarding pollution in Italian urban areas is Legambiente's " Mal'Aria di città 2025 " report , which analyzes air pollution data in 2024 in Italian provincial capitals . This report examines Italian cities that exceeded legal limits for fine particulate matter (PM10) —set at 35 days per year with average daily concentrations above 50 µg/m³ —and highlights the most critical situations.

This is the national ranking with the first eight places:

• Frosinone (Port)- about 70 days beyond the limits
• Milan (Marche control unit)  68 days
• Verona (Borgo Milano)  66 days
• Vicenza (San Felice)  64 days
• Padua (Arcella)  61 days
• Venice (via Beccaria)  61 days
• Cremona  57 days
• Naples  57 days

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